History’s best Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf performances

In its first run in 2008, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf (G1) was expected by many to be one race that European raiders would excel in. But for most of its history, North American fillies kept the race at home.

Europeans did win three of the four editions from 2022 to 2025, but the balance is firmly 14-5 in favor of the home team. One trainer, Chad Brown, won more of the first 19 editions (six) than the Europeans put together.

The races have often been exciting. But which fillies put up the best performances? Here’s a countdown of the 10 best.

10. Catch a Glimpse (2015)

Fresh from winning the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine, Catch a Glimpse jumped quickly at Keeneland and stayed near the speed. She quickened nicely in the stretch for Florent Geroux and had too many guns for Irish raider Alice Springs. The City Zip filly would go on to win the Belmont Oaks (G1) and another four graded stakes as a three-year-old.

9. Sharing (2019)

Punters paid limited attention to Sharing coming into 2019, given that her best effort was a non-graded stakes race at Laurel Park. But she belied her 13-1 odds, stalking the pace for Manny Franco before taking on Sweet Melania in the stretch and coming away with a decisive 1 1/4 length victory. Sharing emphasized how good she was by running second in the Coronation Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot the following year.

8. Rushing Fall (2017)

The 2017 Juvenile Fillies Turf looked like a match between Aidan O’Brien’s dual Group 1 winner Happily and Chad Brown’s Rushing Fall, a clear-cut winner of the Jessamine (G3). But while Happily was lengths below her best, Rushing Fall swept to the lead from midfield for Javier Castellano and scored a comfortable three-quarter length victory. She went on to win 11 of her 15 starts and five more Grade 1 races before rounding off her career with a close second in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf behind Audarya.

7. Meditate (2022)

Meditate finally broke the nine-year dry spell for European stables in 2022, and she couldn’t have been more impressive. Twice a Group 1 runner-up in Europe, she won in style here at 2-1. She was a long way off the pace but dashed past the field as if they were pinned to the rail to score by 2 1/2 lengths. Meditate didn’t excel at three; second in the Irish 2,000 Guineas was by far her best result – but she was dominant at the Breeders’ Cup.

6. Aunt Pearl (2020)

A 280,000 guineas ($359,000) purchase from Tattersalls in England, sent to Brad Cox, Aunt Pearl was so impressive when winning the Jessamine that she was made favourite ahead of the Europeans at 2.6-1. She never gave her rivals a chance, putting four lengths on the field before reaching the back stretch and never letting them near her again. It was a shame she had to be retired after bleeding at her only three-year-old start, but she made a great impression at the Breeders’ Cup. 

5. Chriselliam (2013)

Chriselliam’s story was much sadder than that of Aunt Pearl. She arrived at Santa Anita in 2013 after winning the Fillies Mile (G1) at Newmarket at long odds, as a filly with real promise. She improved further in the US, settling off the pace before exploding past her rivals to score by more than two lengths. The Europeans were mightily impressed, making her favorite for the 1,000 Guineas the following May. But she developed a foot infection over winter that spread into the pedal bone, and despite the best efforts of veterinarians, she couldn’t be saved. She deserves to be remembered fondly for her outstanding juvenile successes.

4. Stephanie’s Kitten (2011)

Ken and Sarah Ramsey have had many good horses, and Stephanie’s Kitten is among the best of them. She warmed up for the Breeders’ Cup by winning the Alcibiades (G1) on what was then an all-weather track at Keeneland, and went out third favorite for the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Put in a stalking position by John Velazquez, she challenged Stopshoppingmaria in the stretch and bravely got home by three-quarters of a length. She arguably had the best career as an older horse of any Juvenile Fillies Turf victor, winning the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf after placing second in the same race a year earlier. 

3. Lake Victoria (2024)

Lake Victoria arrived with a big reputation after being unbeaten in four European starts, two of them at Group 1 level. She started odds-on and toyed with her opposition, despite being interfered with on the first turn. Ryan Moore had her about four lengths from the lead, but when he moved on her at the top of the stretch, she put the race to bed in a few large strides, ahead of May Day Ready and a then-maiden filly named Nitrogen. A late-winter setback left her below her best when beaten in the English 1,000 Guineas, but she atoned in the Irish version. Sadly, she hasn’t raced again since.

2. Lady Eli (2014)

Chad Brown has had a stellar group of fillies win this race, but few have been better than Lady Eli. Unbeaten in two starts after winning the Miss Grillo (G3), she started a short-priced favorite and justified it in style. She was helped by a rail-skimming ride from Irad Ortiz, but she still won by nearly three lengths and ran a second faster than the males did in the Juvenile Turf. From then on, she had niggling problems for much of her career but still won Grade 1 races at two, three, four, and five, and was a nose away from winning the Filly and Mare Turf in 2016.

1. Newspaperofrecord (2018)

Newspaperofrecord didn’t quite have the career that many expected after she turned three, winning just twice more in seven starts, though one was the Just a Game (G1). But there has never been a more dominant winner of the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Starting at 3-5 after winning the Miss Grillo (G2) by 6-1/2 lengths, she went straight to the front for Irad Ortiz and was in a race of her own, winning by 6-3/4 lengths. It was one of the most dominant victories ever seen at a Breeders’ Cup.